Describe in detail the options for collecting feedback.

Question

What will be an ideal response?

Answer 1

• Site usability tests: Once you have at least a prototype of the website ready to evaluate, it is a good idea to conduct a site usability test. This process involves obtaining website feedback from users who are not connected to the project. Usability test participants, often selected from external marketing sources, are instructed to objectively evaluate the site based on a standard set of directions. A comprehensive usability test will include pretest questions, participant tasks, a posttest interview, and a posttest survey. The goal of this test is to obtain much-needed information as to how usable the site is to those unfamiliar with it. Typical questions include: "What are your overall impressions?", "What do you like the best and the least about the site?", and "How easy is it to navigate around the site?". It is helpful to have a test monitor observe the testers as they navigate the site to record the time it takes for them to locate information.

• Surveys: Once the website is published, surveys are a great way to collect user feedback. A well-designed survey with articulate and pertinent questions can provide you with valuable feedback regarding issues about the website itself or regarding the company's products or services. You can request feedback with email solicitations sent to the company's clients or request feedback from the users while they are using a website. Users who complete surveys are often interested in supplying helpful information to a company. However, incentives such as discounts or promotional gifts are also used to increase levels of participation.

• Points of contact: All websites should have several points of contact. A physical address, a mailing address, a telephone number, and an email address are all good points of contact. By providing your clients' users with multiple points of contact, you give them a choice as to how they would like to contact your client when they have problems or questions.

• Web 2.0 Technology: Many websites today are incorporating some form of Web 2.0 technology to interact with their users. Blogs and other social networking sites function as valuable communication tools between companies and their target audiences. For example, posts on such applications as Twitter or Facebook provide instant information as well as allow users the opportunity to post feedback directly back to the website.